Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[Jmaciscool]

I have come to the belief that this is NOT going to blow over with time. The FO keeps digging the hole deeper and deeper, with terrible understanding of how to deal with a loyal fan base, or in working through hard decisions and mistakes and dealing with public perceptions. And in the bigger picture, I think Nico has demonstrated he is in way over his head as a GM, and has to be replaced. Sooner would be better than later, because they need someone really good who can bring some skill to the repair work. (It sounds like he has the Adelson's believing he knows what he's doing, so it may be a really long wait.)

I am coming to believe that everything changed - and went off the rails - after the euphoria of the Finals run.

That led to Nico getting a multi-year extension. But in observing the actions that followed, it feels like that success (and contract) made him think he had it all figured out, and no longer needed the experts around him.

Right after that was when he got rid of the NBA's best medical person. And he also let Dennis Lindsey get away (rather than give him a bigger title and a raise). I am firmly convinced that all the finesse and nuances in roster-building and asset management that we saw in 2023-24 and that led to that Finals run - including PJW and Gafford trades - were Lindsey moves. The awful asset management and bad negotiations, before and since, topping out at the Luka and Grimes deals, show an utter lack of any negotiating skill whatsoever in the little details at the margins that can change everything. The Hardy deal was also Nico and one I think they are going to regret a lot.

Terrible crisis management (of a disaster self-created). Getting rid of badly needed experts. which reeks of ego and a power motif running wild. How can you dig the team out of the ditch when the guy in charge has no clue how bad he is?

Is it worth it to be a Mavs fan, until they get someone who has a clue in where to go from here?

I tried to stay away, but ended up lurking for a bit.  Saw this and had to log back in so I could like it - this is spot on analysis!

[mvossman]

Every time I think I’ve reached acceptance, this “sinks in” just a little deeper and back in a state of abject shock.

It was hard watching him play for the Lakers.

[david75090]

Current Mavs ownership is part of the Ruling Class. The One-Percent. Their considerations aren't the same as the non-one-percent. Nico was probably ordered to make the move to trade Luka for reasons of their own, without factoring in Mavs fans feelings. Mavs fans feelings were not their consideration. Ownership is happy with the move. We read what Dumont had to say. In their opinion, case closed. Fans unhappy? Sit the eff down, and shut up.

[DallasMaverick]

Jerry: "Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to justify. Because the players are always changing, the team can move to another city. You're actually rooting for the clothes when you get right down to it. You know, I mean, you are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes for another city. Fans will be so in love with a player, but if he goes to another team, they boo him. This is the same human being in a different shirt. They hate him now. 'Boo! Different shirt. Boo.'"

#seinfeld #superbowl

[michaeltex]

It could be. I would just think that as a player who knows how hard it is to win and puts in a ton of work that it would be hard to watch Luka gain weight and do the little things that attribute to winning. Some team source was quoted as saying "how do you gain weight playing 40 minutes a night".

That combined with the injury problems and just how bad he looked last night caught my attention watching Klay do the presser. I could be wrong.

Hero to Dad Bods everywhere...



But I'm still gonna miss him like crazy.

[Chicagojk]

It hurts to see him in that Laker jersey. Luka passes were my favorite part of his game. That and the hate and vengenance he took on against some opponents.

I still don't think he is moving well. Hopefully for him he continues to improve. He can still be one of the best players in the league if he moves like this. I just don't know if it is sustainable long term if doesn't look better running.

[audiosway]

I have come to the belief that this is NOT going to blow over with time. The FO keeps digging the hole deeper and deeper, with terrible understanding of how to deal with a loyal fan base, or in working through hard decisions and mistakes and dealing with public perceptions. And in the bigger picture, I think Nico has demonstrated he is in way over his head as a GM, and has to be replaced. Sooner would be better than later, because they need someone really good who can bring some skill to the repair work. (It sounds like he has the Adelson's believing he knows what he's doing, so it may be a really long wait.)

I am coming to believe that everything changed - and went off the rails - after the euphoria of the Finals run.

That led to Nico getting a multi-year extension. But in observing the actions that followed, it feels like that success (and contract) made him think he had it all figured out, and no longer needed the experts around him.

Right after that was when he got rid of the NBA's best medical person. And he also let Dennis Lindsey get away (rather than give him a bigger title and a raise). I am firmly convinced that all the finesse and nuances in roster-building and asset management that we saw in 2023-24 and that led to that Finals run - including PJW and Gafford trades - were Lindsey moves. The awful asset management and bad negotiations, before and since, topping out at the Luka and Grimes deals, show an utter lack of any negotiating skill whatsoever in the little details at the margins that can change everything. The Hardy deal was also Nico and one I think they are going to regret a lot.

Terrible crisis management (of a disaster self-created). Getting rid of badly needed experts. which reeks of ego and a power motif running wild. How can you dig the team out of the ditch when the guy in charge has no clue how bad he is?

Is it worth it to be a Mavs fan, until they get someone who has a clue in where to go from here?

This is a little too real. I think you may have nailed it though. I saw a master class commercial the other day with the scientist guy Neil deGrasse. He said something that I think totally sums up where we are right now.

"Some people are smart enough to think they are right but not smart enough to know they are wrong."

I hope I'm wrong on this and that Nico is right. It's just that the way they are handling the aftermath of the trade doesn't inspire confidence.

[F Gump]

Why do you think the Hardy deal will be something so terrible?  To me, that contract is an asset - $6 million a year for a young scorer isn't much at all.  I know he's not playing right now, but he's still averaging almost 10 a game when he does in limited minutes.  

Pretty sure they could flip that contract into draft picks pretty easily if they wanted to...but he's now in the group of cost control, which Nico seems to be looking for.

I think it's a terrible deal because I don't think other teams would want that player at that price. I could be wrong, but I just don't see $6M worth of player.

And if there's not, he's not getting you value back in return, and you will struggle to get him off your books (see Hardaway, Tim) and likely have to pay someone to take him. Or be stuck with him clogging your payroll, and that gets worse (see McGee, Javale.) I hope you're right.

[F Gump]

Current Mavs ownership is part of the Ruling Class. The One-Percent. Their considerations aren't the same as the non-one-percent. Nico was probably ordered to make the move to trade Luka for reasons of their own, without factoring in Mavs fans feelings. Mavs fans feelings were not their consideration. Ownership is happy with the move. We read what Dumont had to say. In their opinion, case closed. Fans unhappy? Sit the eff down, and shut up.

Hmmm. Interesting take. But I'm not quite able to buy it.

In theory, you can have so much money that you don't care. But real life - and demonstrated by the NBA owners who all have billions - is that the rich really care about losing money.

What if you just had one of your toys, worth $4.5B, suddenly become worth far less because a manager doofus is doing stupid things with it, and the customers no longer like buying what they are selling? They do care what the public thinks of their team - that's what they are selling and what drives value.

My belief is that this has now gone far beyond a trade mistake. I think Nico's ongoing, utter ineptitude as a GM has imperiled the brand itself, and guts the value of the franchise. Dumont supports the move, but no way he supports making "The Mavs" into something despised in Dallas (unless he's that stupid, in which case his job is going to be on thin ice too).

Or let me put it in different terms. If the Mavs today want taxpayer support to build a new arena, and an entertainment venue around it, will they be warmly embraced? Or laughed at and ignored? They NEED the fan base and public support, and every move they are making is alienating it more and more.

[LukaMVP]

the mavs (and the nba as a whole) are just a small business compared to the gambling industry. mavs were just purchased and used as a leverage imho.

[Winter]

Or let me put it in different terms. If the Mavs today want taxpayer support to build a new arena, and an entertainment venue around it, will they be warmly embraced? Or laughed at and ignored? They NEED the fan base and public support, and every move they are making is alienating it more and more.

I think this comment should be given some weight. 

The owner was persuaded that the decision for a trade would be more likely to bring a championship and a new arena. They heard what they wanted to hear. And as best I can tell, they heard it from just one person. Nico.

[F Gump]

the mavs (and the nba as a whole) are just a small business compared to the gambling industry. mavs were just purchased and used as a leverage imho.

I don't think there's any gambling leverage from owning the Mavs.

Yes, I think the Adelsons want to create a gambling footprint in Dallas. But I don't think owning the Mavs moves the needle at all on the gambling question. The vast majority of Texas lawmakers making such decisions don't care at all about the Mavs.

The Mavs do have value re the local real estate play (which is a different issue and different lawmakers). Of course, they've totally crapped on that value now, and lessened a large part of whatever leverage they may have had there, with the way they are operating the franchise these last weeks and making it less attractive to the Dallas public.

[Radical Mavs]

Nailed it. I hope this doesn’t blow over. We need radical change. Any person behind the wheel who thinks this was a good move doesn’t deserve to be in their position.

And I say this as someone who doesn’t mind Davis. He’s a fantastic player. Hell maybe Nico is right and that Luka is about to deteriorate. But you still had one of the most valuable assets in the history of the league and Nico squandered it like he was just a random player. They even gave up a pick!!! Ugh

I'm Radical...

Are you being sarcastic here or serious?

[Radical Mavs]

Jerry: "Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to justify. Because the players are always changing, the team can move to another city. You're actually rooting for the clothes when you get right down to it. You know, I mean, you are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes for another city. Fans will be so in love with a player, but if he goes to another team, they boo him. This is the same human being in a different shirt. They hate him now. 'Boo! Different shirt. Boo.'"

#seinfeld #superbowl

 Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? 

[KillerLeft]

Hmmm. Interesting take. But I'm not quite able to buy it.

In theory, you can have so much money that you don't care. But real life - and demonstrated by the NBA owners who all have billions - is that the rich really care about losing money.

What if you just had one of your toys, worth $4.5B, suddenly become worth far less because a manager doofus is doing stupid things with it, and the customers no longer like buying what they are selling? They do care what the public thinks of their team - that's what they are selling and what drives value.

My belief is that this has now gone far beyond a trade mistake. I think Nico's ongoing, utter ineptitude as a GM has imperiled the brand itself, and guts the value of the franchise. Dumont supports the move, but no way he supports making "The Mavs" into something despised in Dallas (unless he's that stupid, in which case his job is going to be on thin ice too).

Or let me put it in different terms. If the Mavs today want taxpayer support to build a new arena, and an entertainment venue around it, will they be warmly embraced? Or laughed at and ignored? They NEED the fan base and public support, and every move they are making is alienating it more and more.

Totally. If we assume part of the reason for purchasing the Mavs was to foster good will and establish a positive presence in the city, and I do assume that, this has to have been a noticeably troubling week and a half from the Adelson's perspective. 

This is the kind of thing that ends up getting legalized gambling NOT to pass, for example.

[F Gump]

KL, to be clear, their public image the A's are working hard to destroy does matter at the local level, where the politicians handle zoning and eminent domain and will control whether they (as a singular private entity) can do a huge land grab to create and own a lucrative real estate area on the coming-some-day Dallas Town Lake at the edge of downtown Dallas.

But this disaster in managing the Mavs won't move the needle either way on the gambling question. That's a much bigger, deeper issue, played on a bigger stage (entire state of Texas) with a different backdrop (it's a statewide no-no and one of those sacred cows to keep it that way) and different politicians (governor and state legislature, which has been staunchly against change) and even needs a statewide vote to legalize and it has way more people pushing and pulling on both sides than the Adelsons.

[KillerLeft]

But this disaster in managing the Mavs won't move the needle either way on the gambling question. That's a much bigger, deeper issue, played on a bigger stage (entire state of Texas) with a different backdrop (it's a statewide no-no and one of those sacred cows to keep it that way) and different politicians (governor and state legislature, which has been staunchly against change) and even needs a statewide vote to legalize and it has way more people pushing and pulling on both sides than the Adelsons.

Yeah, it's easy to forget that emboldened part. The Adelsons are the only face of it that pops up in my day-to-day, sorry. Good clarification.

[david75090]

Hmmm. Interesting take. But I'm not quite able to buy it.

In theory, you can have so much money that you don't care. But real life - and demonstrated by the NBA owners who all have billions - is that the rich really care about losing money.

What if you just had one of your toys, worth $4.5B, suddenly become worth far less because a manager doofus is doing stupid things with it, and the customers no longer like buying what they are selling? They do care what the public thinks of their team - that's what they are selling and what drives value.

My belief is that this has now gone far beyond a trade mistake. I think Nico's ongoing, utter ineptitude as a GM has imperiled the brand itself, and guts the value of the franchise. Dumont supports the move, but no way he supports making "The Mavs" into something despised in Dallas (unless he's that stupid, in which case his job is going to be on thin ice too).

Or let me put it in different terms. If the Mavs today want taxpayer support to build a new arena, and an entertainment venue around it, will they be warmly embraced? Or laughed at and ignored? They NEED the fan base and public support, and every move they are making is alienating it more and more.

I don't think Dumont realizes what they've done, or how upset the fanbase is, if they care, and I don't think they do. "They're not from around here". It's a "let them eat cake" moment.

Don't think they'd intentionally trash an asset, but I think they'd make a stupid mistake. Trading Luka is one thing, doing it how they did it, is another.

Don't think they have the emotional investment Mavs fans have. It's an asset in another city, to them. Fans live and breath Mavs basketball. It's a big disconnect. Their investment is monetary, fan's investment is emotional.

[Jym]

I wonder how quickly apathy will take over the anger
Before long the owners will probably wish they had some angry fans left who cared

[BolsDamols]

im not as mad as I used to be at the trade. having watched Luka yesterday took some of the anger away, and having Dirk at the LA game really said a lot to me. Dirk was the main reason i became a fan in 2000, decided to follow the team once he retired and Luka took over..

im at the point that i will probably continue to keep an eye at the current Mavs, looking at box scores and maybe some highlights once in a while.but im done working my schedule around watching Mavs games, having my mood be affected by how the Mavs did, caring a lot about moves they made or did not make. something in my fandom just died, to the point of not really caring as much I guess.

i will likely not have the will to invest my time and emotions in another rebuild. Years of investment only to be betrayed by ownership like that. Never again.